The Wayne Millard trial, Day 8

Dellen Millard's trial for first-degree murder in the death of his father, Wayne, continues in Superior Court in Toronto.

Court is now back in session. Millard's lawyer, Ravin Pillay, is beginning his cross-examination.

by Adam Carter6/12/2018 6:17:50 PM

Pillay is talking about the last meeting he had with Wayne Millard, at Maple Gate.

by Adam Carter6/12/2018 6:18:45 PM

He says there was some talk of a FBO business, or a fixed based operation. That would include parking and selling fuel for planes. That's what MillardAir did previously, Pillay says, but Barnes says he doesn't know.

by Adam Carter6/12/2018 6:20:16 PM

Pillay is now talking about the emails between Wayne Millard and Barnes. He's pointing out a section of the email where Barnes mentioned a FBO business plan, which had come up in the meeting. Barnes says Wayne Millard had mentioned it in the earlier meeting.

by Adam Carter6/12/2018 6:23:29 PM

Barnes says this was a surprise to him, because they had put a lot of money and resources on the MRO project.

by Adam Carter6/12/2018 6:24:00 PM

"You knew that the loan that was taken out from the bank had financial goals built in to the loan, correct?" Pillay asks. Meaning, the MRO had to demonstrate to the bank that certain things were happening with the business. Barnes says he didn't negotiate the loan.

by Adam Carter6/12/2018 6:25:53 PM

Barnes says the business had to establish itself, and build credibility.

by Adam Carter6/12/2018 6:27:24 PM

Barnes says working in aviation is a "cutthroat business." Pillay is zeroing in on it being a difficult business. "There was not a single contract signed, fair?" Pillay asks. Barnes says there were none, they were still working on it.

by Adam Carter6/12/2018 6:29:43 PM

Pillay says the aircraft maintenance business is very complex, and Barnes agrees.

by Adam Carter6/12/2018 6:32:44 PM

Barnes agrees that its "fair" that Wayne Millard didn't have a background in aircraft maintenance. "He could not have done it himself, he wasn't qualified to," Pillay says.

by Adam Carter6/12/2018 6:36:22 PM

Barnes says Dellen Millard didn't have anything to do with getting the Transport Canada certification for the business that he knew about.

by Adam Carter6/12/2018 6:36:55 PM

Pillay is suggesting that licence came down in November. Barnes agrees.

by Adam Carter6/12/2018 6:38:40 PM

Barnes says he was basically the second in command at MillardAir before he was let go. Dellen Millard wasn't on the company's organizational chart, Pillay says.

by Adam Carter6/12/2018 6:41:17 PM

Pillay is trying to suggest that after Wayne Millard's death, the Transport Canada certification would be revoked. Barnes says no, there would be a grace period after a death for a new head of a company to be found.

by Adam Carter6/12/2018 6:45:00 PM

"You didn't have many dealings with Dellen, correct?" Pillay asks. "Correct," Barnes says. He says he saw Wayne as his employer, and mostly dealt with him.

by Adam Carter6/12/2018 6:46:39 PM

Pillay says it was clear that Wayne was trying to save money. Barnes says he didn't look at it that way.

by Adam Carter6/12/2018 6:47:44 PM

Barnes agrees that meetings for the business were happening at Maple Gate, and they were informal. Millard's cats were around and on tables at this point, he says.

by Adam Carter6/12/2018 6:51:03 PM

Barnes also says Wayne was essentially immobile for a time, and was getting around in a scooter for a time.

by Adam Carter6/12/2018 6:51:56 PM

Barnes says he couldn't say if Wayne Millard was under stress financially.

by Adam Carter6/12/2018 6:52:20 PM

Barnes says the hangar building cost $6.4 million, and $1.6 million was owed to the builder. He says Wayne said he wasn't going to make a payment in June, but there was some sort of arrangement about it made between himself and the builder.

Pillay is now conferring with Millard at the prisoner's box. He's asking for two minutes from the judge, and sitting back at his computer.

by Adam Carter6/12/2018 6:58:01 PM

Pillay now asking if he was familiar with the amount of the loan from RBC. "I believe it was $3 million," Barnes says. That's it from Pillay. The Crown is now re-examining.

by Adam Carter6/12/2018 6:58:50 PM

Crown Jill Cameron now asking about MillardAir's organizational chart. She says this was in relation to the business plan, which was different from the one in the company's maintenance policy.

by Adam Carter6/12/2018 7:01:55 PM

In this plan, there is an organizational chart. There's a section for vice president - and that vice-president is listed as Dellen Millard.

by Adam Carter6/12/2018 7:04:06 PM

It also lists Dellen Millard as the 50 per cent owner of MillardAir.

by Adam Carter6/12/2018 7:04:30 PM

That's it for Barnes. His testimony is finished.

by Adam Carter6/12/2018 7:09:11 PM

The Crown's next witness is Philip Woodward. Of note -- both of these witnesses from this afternoon have thick British accents.

by Adam Carter6/12/2018 7:11:07 PM

Crown Jill Cameron is again doing the examination in chief here. He says he came to Canada in 1989, and works in the airline industry.

by Adam Carter6/12/2018 7:12:09 PM

He started to work with MillardAir in October of 2011. Woodward said he'd known Wayne Millard for several years before that.

by Adam Carter6/12/2018 7:14:32 PM

They were both working for Canada 3000, where Wayne Millard was a pilot, back in the mid 90s.

by Adam Carter6/12/2018 7:15:18 PM

Woodward says he was writing the company's procedures and figure out how they would accomplish their work.

by Adam Carter6/12/2018 7:18:27 PM

He says he lost his job on Nov. 4, 2012.

by Adam Carter6/12/2018 7:19:07 PM

"He was very interested in aviation. He always seemed very keen on what we were doing," Woodward says about Wayne Millard.

by Adam Carter6/12/2018 7:19:46 PM

Ten mechanics had been hired to work with MillardAir, Woodward says.

by Adam Carter6/12/2018 7:23:23 PM

He says he first met Dellen Millard when he was about ten-years-old, walking around the MillardAir hangar at Pearson. He also knew him from working with MillardAir, where Dellen was at meetings.

by Adam Carter6/12/2018 7:24:35 PM

He also says MillardAir went to a trade show in Dallas to try to drum up customers as the hangar was being constructed. It wasn't licensed as an MRO yet at this point.

by Adam Carter6/12/2018 7:27:11 PM

We're now seeing the company's certificate of approval from Transport Canada.

by Adam Carter6/12/2018 7:29:28 PM

Cameron is now asking questions about the business, and getting this certificate. It's quite technical stuff pertaining to the aviation industry.

by Adam Carter6/12/2018 7:33:13 PM

Cameron asks Woodward how Wayne Millard seemed after the certification came in. "He seemed very excited, very pleased," he says.

by Adam Carter6/12/2018 7:35:06 PM

Woodward says he never really had any issues with Dellen Millard.

by Adam Carter6/12/2018 7:36:41 PM

Woodward says they were trying to drum up business for the company, but everyone kept saying for them to give them a call once they were up and running. "Nobody wanted to be first, that was the problem," he says.

by Adam Carter6/12/2018 7:37:54 PM

The Crown now asking if Wayne Millard said why he was creating this business. "He said he'd like to build a business in aviation ... he always said he'd like to build up a business and then get it to a point where Dellen could carry it on," Woodward says. He never talked about this with Dellen.

by Adam Carter6/12/2018 7:42:44 PM

He says Wayne also never expressed any concerns about money to him.

by Adam Carter6/12/2018 7:43:10 PM

The Crown asks Woodward if he knew Wayne Millard to have any health problems. Woodward says he had a back problem that laid him out for quite a while. But towards the end of his life he was getting around in a scooter. "He seemed his normal self," he says. Woodward also says he never really argued with Wayne.